Material handling apparatus



Jan. 11, 1944. o. REICHELT MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1941 O 0 ME 9392 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOP L.O. REI6'HELT ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1944 MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Lester 0. Reichelt, Cranford, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 17, 1941, Serial No. 415,371

3 Claims. (Cl. 33- 132) This invention relates to material handling apparatus, and more particularly to control mechanisms for stopping stranding. machines used in forming cables after cables of selected lengths have been formed.

Stop counters have been used frequently with I material handling or working apparatus to render the power means for driving such apparatus ineffective after predetermined lengths of material have passed by the counters thereof.

to condition the apparatus with which they are associated for further operations and to condition the apparatus for intermittent operations to produce additional lengths of material, is of great importance in determining the output of the apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a material handling apparatus including a stop control which is simple in structure, accurate and dependable, and easily and readily reset.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a material handling apparatus having mechanisms to advance material past a roll, to rotate a roll at a speed determined by the speed of advancement of the material and to actuate a transmitting unit, a receiving unit under the control of the transmitting unit being adapted to drive a counter to indicate the length of material moved past the roll, and a subtracting indicator to effect stopping of the apparatus when a selected length of material has passed the roll.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a material handling apparatus showing driving means for advancing material and a roll rotated by the advancement of the material;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the control mechanism for the apparatus, this view being' taken. substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; v

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the subtracting indicator;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan View of the counter portion taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-5 of Fig. 4;

Suchcounters must be reset for repeated operations and the time required to reset the counters and Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a resetting mechanism; 1,

V Fig.18 is an -enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram illustrating the electrical circuits affected by the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1, which illustrates but-a small portion of a material handling apparatus. In the present instance this apparatus is for stranding or twisting a plurality of electrical conductors into a group and wrapping the group with paper or cotton or the like in the forming of an electrical cable for use in the transmission of intelligence electrically. The material, indicated at H is in the present embodiment a cable unit and the structure shown in Fig. 1 is disposed ad- -jacent the exit end of the apparatus in advance of a take-up reel (not shown) upon which the material is wound. In this structure a frame II is provided with a motor supporting bracket 12 extending laterally therefrom; the bracket supporting a driving motor [4 which drives a roll l5 through a motor shaft l6. In actual construction the motor l4 merely assists in continuing the advancement of the material, other power means being provided in the apparatus or through the take-up reel mechanism to effect advancement of the material. However, for the purpose of illustrating the invention let it be assumed that the motor I4 is the entire force or power means for advancing the material. In this manner the invention may be clearly illustrated without the necessity of showing and describing the other complicated structures of the apparatus.-

The roll 15 is assisted in advancing the materialbya counter roll 1 8,the latter being mounted upon a shaft l9 of an electrical transmitting unit 28. Theunit 20 is supported by'a bracket'Zl pivoted at 22 upon the frame ll. Suitable means under the control of a hand-screw 23,- associated with the bracket 2| and the frame I l, is provided to vary the pressure of the roll l8 on the material 16', to create a definite advancement of the material with the roll l5 and an accurate'rotation of the roll I8 with the material. 'With this constructionthe transmitting unit 20 is drivenata definite speed determined by the speed of advancement of the material. This unit is electrically connected to an electrical receiving unit 25 (Figs. 2 and 3) through a suitable electrical circuit (not shown) to effect driving of the receiving 'unit at the same speed the transmitting unit is driven. The transmitting unit 20 is in the form .of a generator, while the receiving unit 25 is in 3I which in turn, through its shaft 32, drives a worm 33, the latter being fixed to the shaft. The

worm 33 interengages a worm gear 34, the latter.

being mounted upon and keyed to a counter shaft 35 of a counter unit 36.

The mechanism in the counter unit 35, including'counter wheels under the control of theshaft 35, may be of the conventional type to register in numbers the feet of material I9 which have passed beyond the roll ll it is believed that a detailed structure .of-the counter and :its inner workings are not essential for a clear understanding of the invention, excepting the .connection of the shaft 35 with its driving :means 'just described and the :mechanism fordisconnecting the shaft from its driving means and connecting it with a resetting means through which the counter mechanism may he reset. The counter may be provided with a transparent cover 31, in the cabinet 21, through which the operator may clearly view the numbers registered by the counter during the operation of the apparatus. The resetting mechanism includes an actuating lever 19 positioned to engage an enlarged or head portion 4| of the shaft 35, to move the shaft'to the left (Fig. against the force of a spring 42 which 'normallyholds the shaft in its operating position. The lever '49 is pivoted at 43 and extends through an aperture 44 in the cover 31, so "that the operator may have access thereto. Movement of the shaft 35 to the left (Fig. 5') through the actuation of the lever 49 will move a bevelled gear 45, which is mounted upon the outer end of the shaft, in engagement with a bevelled gear 41, the latter being mounted upon a s'haft 48 which is mounted for rotation by a han-d'wheel 49 for manual rotation of the shaft 35 through the bevelled gears 96 and 41 to reset the counter unit 36.

Attention is again directed to Figs. :2 and 3, beginning with the gear 29 which drives a gear 59 on 'a shaf-t 51., the gear 59 driving a gear 52 which is mounted upon the same shaft. The gear :52 when driven, drives a gear53 which is mounted upon :a shaft 59 '(Figs. .2, .3 and 6), the

latter driving a :gear 55. The shaft :54 is journal1ed in-a bearing-55 'of'one end 51 of an arm 58 which is in the form of :a 'bellcrank lever pivotally supported intermediate he tends upon .a stationary member :59. The other end of the arm, indicated at '69, is normaly urged upwardly by aspring 51 to position the gear 53 in engagement with th'e gear 52. When in this position, thismeing called the operating position, the arm 58, that is the 'end 69 thereof, allows positioning 'df a swith '63fthrough a switch actuatin plunger 95. to condition an electrical circuit shown in Fig. 9 and, as hereinafter described, to stoplthe appai-a'tus orto render the motor I4 ineffective.

The arm 58 is underthe control of a cam 66 mounted :upon :a shaft 61', the latter being supported in a suitable hearing 38 tFig. .3.) and having its outer :end provided "with .a handle 69 for the manual rotation thereof. Through the actuation of the handle 69, the cam may be moved from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 7 to a position 180 therefrom, the cam riding upon a 5 shoulder I9 fixed to the arm 58 to effect clockwise movement of the arm about its pivot. This movement of the arm 58 disconnects the gear .53 from the gear 52 and conditions a resetting mechanism to reset the subtracting indicator of which all of this is a part.

. Attention is first directed, however, to the remaining portions of the indicator, referring again to the member 59 which is an integral portion of a cover plate 73 mounted upon a housing '15 1.4 and cooperating with a wall of the housing, to provide a compartment I6 for a gear 11. The housing 14 is supported by a panel I8 and 'has its .open front end closed by a transparent cover .19 for observation of the indicating portions of the indicator. The cover I9 is held in place .by an annular member 99 through the aid of screws -8I. {The :member 5.9 together with the adjacent portion .of the cover I3, i apertured to receive a spindle 82 held against rotation by a key 83. An. outer indicating element '85 of the cross sectional contour illustrated in Fig. 6, this element being circular in general contour, is rotatably supported on the spindle 82 by the aid of a bearing '86, the :latter being disposed in a hub-like portion 9'! :of the element. On the hub- .likeportion '87 the gear 11 is mounted, and due to the fact that thegea-r 'I'I is -driven by the gear 55 the e1ement'95 will be driven at the same speed as the gear 17.

A bearing 88 is disposed in an'aperture of the element 85 for a shaft 89, the ends of which support planet gears {99 and 9|, these gears travelling in a circuitous path with the element 8.5. The planet gear 99 i-nterengages "a sun gear 92,

thela-tter :being fixedly mounted in an aperture of the Wall 95 of the housing 14. The planet gear 91 interengages a sun gear 93 which is mounted Lupon-a hub portion 94 of an inner indi'cating -element-95.1 The sun gears 92 and 93 are similar in structure excepting in their number of teeth, the gear 92 having one or more teeth more than thej ear 93, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described. The hub portion 94 of the element 95 is supported by the aid of bearings 9! upon the spindle 82 and serve,

through the aid of a bearing 99, to additionally support the outer element 85 for rotation relative to the spindle and to the inner element. The elements 85 and 95 have indicating plates I99 and I9! respectively mounted thereon and disposed'in a common plane-concentric with each other.

tions I92, each representing five .feet and con- 'venient markings being provided, extending from a zero position I93, to assist the operator in accurately locating *the desired graduation. In other words, one complete rotation of the outer indicating elementwith its plate I99 will indicate that live hundred feet of material have 05 'passed the roll I8. The plate I9I is also provided with a circular arrangement of markings 594, each mark in this-instance representing five hundred feet or one complete cycle of the outer element .and its plate I99. In other words,

70 a complete cycle of the inner element with 16 Returning now momentarily to the sun gears The plate I99 is provided with graduabe traced from lin I40 at connection I 41, through 92 and 93, the difierence in their structures, namely their number of teeth, afiects movement of the inner element 95 the distance of one mark ing during each complete cycle of the outer element 85. r

The inner element 95 has a central hollow portion I08 in which a control member I09 is disposed, this membe'r being held againstrotation through a key H0, fixing th member to the spindle 82. The spindle 82 is also assured against rotation and against longitudinal movement by a retaining nut III mounted on the oppositefend thereof and functioning with a collar H2 which engages the cover plate 13 and also serves to maintain proper location of the hub 81 of the outer element 85 and its gear 11.

The member I 09, as illustrat d in Fig. 8, carries a cam member I I4 which is of the contour shown and adapted to cause axial movement of a spring pressed plunger I I5 of the inner element 95, when theplunger is moved into registration with the cam.

Th plunger H5 is normally urged toward the axis of the inner element 95 by a spring H6 but is limited in its movement by a pin I I1 supported by the element and extending through an elongate aperture H8 of the plunger. Another plunger H9, identical in structure to the plunger- H5 and under the control of a spring I and a pin I2I, is carried by the outer element 85, as shown in Fig. 8. The plungers H5 and H9 have their outer ends rounded to provide cam-like surfaces for engagement with each other and for the engagement of the: plunger H5 with the cam H4 when they are all brought into general alignment with each other. Another plunger I22 is disposed in an aperture I23 of the housing 14 and normally rests upon a head portion I24 but is movable outwardly in its aperture when the plungers I I5 and I I 9 are both brought into alignment with the cam II4. This occurs only when the selected length of material has passed the roll I8 and the elements 85 and 95 with their plates I 00 and HM respectively, have returned to zero positions. The plunger I22 engages an end of a lever I26, which is pivoted at I21 and engages intermediate its ends an actuating plunger I 28 of a switch I29.

Attention is now directed to the resetting mechanism which is linked with the arm 58 and its actuating means, namely the cam 66 and the handle 69. The shaft 54 supported by the end 51 of the arm 58 has a gear I32 mounted thereon (Figs. 2, 3 and 6)' which is adapted to be moved into engagement with a gear I33 when the cam 56 is moved into a position opposite that shown in Figs. 2 and '7. -The gear I33 is mounted upon a shaft I34, the latter being supported by suitable bearings and having a smaller gear I35 also mounted thereon. The gear I35 interengage's a gear I36 on a shaft I31, the latter being journalled in suitable bearings and having a hand wheel I38 mounted upon the outer end thereof externally of the cabinet 21.

Attention is nowdirected to Fig. 9, which illustrates a simplenwirlng diagram of the control circuits. Reference. numerals I40 and MI indicate the lines ofa'general circuit receiving electrical energy from a: suitable source. The motor I4 is illustrated schematicallyas a three-phase induction motor," receiving a source of electrical energy through conductors I42, I43 and I44. In these conductors are contacts, indicated generally at I45, which are under the control of a relay I46, the contacts being of the normally open type.

.The relay I46 is in a, starting circuit whi'ch'may -a. normally closed stop switch I48, a start switch I49 when closed, as illustrated, through the relay -'I 46, anormally closed contact I50, to the line I4I at connection I5I. When the relay I46 is energized the contacts I are closed, conditioning the motor circuit to energize the motor I4. When the circuit has been completed through the relay I46,

a locking circuit is also completed by the closing of the contact I52, this locking circuit shunting the start switch I49 from connection I53 through the contact I52 to connection I54. The relay I46 then remains energized through this locking circuit after the starting switch ha been released. The contact I50 is under the control of a relay I56, the latter being energized when the switch I 29 is closed through the cam I I4 (Fig. 8), the plungers H5, H9 and I22 and lever I26. When th circuit has been completed through the closing of the switch I29 it may b traced from line I40at connection I51 through the relay I56, switch I29, .to line I4I at I58. A locking circuit for the relay I56 is completed through a contact I59 and a contact I60 of switch 63, this locking circuit shunting the switch I 29 froma connection I 62, through contacts I59 and I60, to connection I63. There is also a contact I64 in the switch 63 Which maintains a locking circuit for the relay I56 during and after the actuation of the cam 66, to render inoperative the indicating unit and to render operative the resetting mechanism therefor. This locking circuit also shunts the switch 129 and may be traced from connection I 65 through contact I64 to connection I63. Another control circuit is provided to cause jogging of the apparatus. This circuit is under the control of a double switch I15 having two contacts I16 and I 11 and a normally open contact I18 of the relay I56. The circuit may be traced from line I 40 at I19, through contact I16, when closed, connection I80, relay I46, connection I8 I, contact I11, when closed, con.- tact I18 to line I4I at I 82. Through this circuit the relay I46 may be energized to start the motor I4 through the closing of the contacts I45, only, however, after the stopping circuits have been completed through the relay I56.

During the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed that the apparatus is idle and that the operator is desirous of producing fourteen thousand three hundred feet of material thereby.

'With the knowledge of the length of time it takes.

for the apparatus to stop completely after the power means therefor has been rendered ineffective and the length of material produced during this stopping period of the apparatus, the

operator may readily determine proper setting of the indicating plates I00 and III! in order that the apparatus may be stopped at the desired moment. For example, let it be assumed that fifty feet is the additional amount produced by the apparatus duringthe stopping period. Therefore, in order that the apparatus may be stopped after the desired length of material has been produced, the indicating plates I00 and IOI are set, with respect to a pointer I10, for the desired length minus fifty feet. The setting of the plates is made possible through the resetting mechanism by first moving the handle '69, causing the cam 66 to move the arm 58 clockwise, moving the gear I32 into engagement with the gear I33 while the gear 55 maintains engagement with the gear 11. The gear 53 has, however, during this movement, been moved out of engagement with the gear 52, disconnecting the indicating unit from its power means and coupling it with the receiving 4 25. During this movementthe gear 55 ismoved in'an arcuate path about the axis of thegear II, maintaining its connection therewith. Therefore, during rotation of the hand wheel I38, the gear I36 drives the gear I35 which, through the shaft I34, drives the gear I33, the latter at this time being connected to the gear I32 which, when driven, drives the gear 55 to drive the gear 11. The gear I1 is directly connected with the outer element 85 and through its rotation in a proper direction, will move its indicating plate relative to the pointer I10, The outer element 85 with its indicating plate I69 must, however, be rotated a definite number of revolutions to cause rotation of the inner element 95 and its indicating plate IOI through the epicyclic gearing, namely the planet gears 96 and 9I and their sun-gears 92 and 93. This operation is continued until the indication 14,000 on the plate IEII registers with the pointer ['50 and the indication 250 on the plate I registers also with the pointer. The indication 250 has been selected instead'of the 300 indication on the plate I06 to allow for the additional fifty feet produced by the apparatus during the stopping period. The indicating or subtracting unit is thus conditioned to prepare the apparatus for operation. At this time the plungers I I and I I9 have been moved out of alignment with the cam IE4 and plunger I22, allowing the lever I26 to move downwardly about its pivot and effect opening of the switch I29. The relay I56, however, remains energized until the elements 85 and 95 of the indicating unit have been disconnected from the resetting mechanism and operatively connected to the driving mechanism during actuation of the cam 66 through the handle 69, to render the resetting mechanism eifective. The switch 63 is moved into its downward position, rendering effective the locking circuit for the relay I56 through the contacts I59 and I60, continuing a locking circuit which originally was completed through the contact I64. However, during the movement of the arm 58 through the movement of the cam 66 into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the switch 63 is again actuated, closing the circuit including the contact I64, but during this movement of the switch the contact I60 opens its circuit through the contact I59 prior to the closing of the circuit through the contact I64, and due to the fact that the switch I29 is open through the previous resetting of the elements 85 and 95 and their indicating plates, the relay I56 is deenergized, allowing the contact I50 to make, conditioning the circuit with the relay I46 to be closed by the start switch I49 when the operator is ready to start the apparatus in motion. At this time the operator may press the start switch, completing the circuit through the relay I46 and the normally closed contact I50, closing the contacts I45 to condition the motor I4 for operation and locking in the relay through the contact I52.

Once the apparatus is set in motion by the driving of the motor I4, the material I0 will be advanced, causing rotation of the roll I8 at a speed determined by the speed of advancing of the material. Rotation of the roll I8 will drive the transmitting unit and, through its connection with the receiving unit 25, will cause rotation of the latter at the same speed. The gear connection between the receiving unit and the counter 36 is such that the counter will accurately register in feet the length of the material I0 as it passes the roll I8. The connection between the receiving unit and the counter, as

previously described, includes gears 30 and 3|, the shaft 92, the bevelled gears 33 and 34, and the shaft 35 of the counter. At the same time the gear 29 of the receiving unit 25 will drive the gear 50, driving also the gears 52, 53 and 55. The gear 55will drive the gear 11, which in turn will drive the outer element clockwise (Fig. 4) at a speed, determined by the train of gears just described, equal to one indication for each five feet of the material passing the roll I8. During the clockwise rotation of the outer element 85 with its plate I00, the planet gears and 9| are moved in a circuitous path about their sun gears 92 and 93 and through the variations in the sun gears the inner element 95 and its plate IOI will be moved the distance of one indication on the plate for each revolution of the outer element 85 or each five hundred feet of the material passing the roll I8. This operation continues, the outer element 85 during each cycle causing alignment of its plunger II9 withthe cam H4 and the plunger I22 but not efiecting actuation of the switch I29 through the lever I26 due to the absence of the plunger II5. However, when-the inner element 95 has moved a sufficient distance to locate the zero position in alignment with the pointer I'Ill, the plunger II5 will be disposed in engagement with the cam II4, the cam causing the plunger to move upwardly against the force of the spring H6, positioning the upper end of the plunger H5 so that, during the next cycle of the outer element 85, the indicating unit will be conditioned to effect actuation of the switch I29 the moment the indicating plateI 00 presents its zero position at the pointer I10. At this time the plunger II9 moves between the plunger H5 and the plunger I22, riding upon the former and moving the latter upwardly, effecting movement of the lever I26 to move the switch plunger I28 upwardly to close the switch I29. This condition exists only momentarily, for the reason that due to the momentum of the apparatus this operation will continue to advance the material. However, the motor I4 is deenergized through the effect of the closing of the switch I29. This completes the previously described circuit through the relay I56, opening the contact I50 to deenergize the relay I46 and effect openingof the contacts I45 to deenergize the motor I4.

Although the switch I29 is closed momentarily, the relay I56 is locked in through the contact I64 of the switch 63 and the contact I59 is closed to condition the locking circuit through the contact I60 when the cam 66 is moved to render the driving means for the indicating unit ineffective and rendering effective the'resetting mechanism through the shifting of the gears 53 and I32 relative to their respective gears 52 and I33. At this time the counter 36 should be observed to determine exactly the length of material which has passed the roll I8. If the counter 36 registers fourteen thousand three hundred feet, the material may then be severed and removed'o'n its take-up reel fromv the apparatus, an empty take-up reel being provided for an additional length of the material to be wound thereon. If the next length produced by the apparatus is to be the same as that previously produced, the indicating unit may again be set through the resetting mechanism to locate the plates with the indication 14,000 on the plate I9I adjacent the pointer I10 and the indication 250 on the plate lflll adjacent the pointer. The apparatus may again be set in motion in the same manner as previously described and the same results will be accomplished. If it is desirable to produce difierent lengths the same operations may take place governed only by the variations in the positioning of the indicating plates I and lill with respect to the pointer I10. Furthermore, if the apparatus should stop prior to the time assumed at the setting of the indicating unit, the motor l4 may be temporarily energized through the jogging switch I15. The closing of this switch may close a circuit through the relay M5, when the contact H8 is closed, to close the contacts I45 and condition the motor I4 to rotate the roll l and further advance the material. In this instance the material will travel at a slower speed, due to the possible slow starting of the motor and, if desired, the repeated opening and closing of the jogging circuit, until the desired length of material has been produced, the operator viewing the counter 36 during this operation.

The counter 36 may be readily reset by movement of the lever 40 clockwise about its pivot (Fig. 5), moving the shaft 35 against the force of the spring 42 to move the bevelled gear 34 out of engagement with the bevelled gear 33 and move the bevelled gear 46 into engagement with the bevelled gear 41. When in this position the hand wheel 49 may be rotated in the proper direction, to move the mechanism of the counter so as to return it to zero position. The counter is thus conditioned prior to each operation of the apparatus.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A material handling apparatus comprising motor driven means to advance material, an indicating unit adapted to be set for a selected length of the material, a mechanism driven by the material and adapted to actuate the indicating unit when operatively connected thereto, a setting mechanism actuable to set the unit when operatively connected thereto, and connecting means adapted for selective movement into engagement with either mechanism to operatively connect them singly with the unit.

2. A material handling apparatus comprising cooperating drive and counter rolls to advance a material, a motor energizable to rotate the drive roll, the counter roll being driven by the material, an indicating unit remotely disposed with respect to the said rolls and having an element adjustable from a normal position to a selected position to register a given length of material to be advanced, an electrically operated receiving unit disposed adjacent the indicating unit and adapted to'move the element toward thenormal position when operatively connected thereto, an electrical transmitting unit driven by the counter roll to cause operation of the receiving unit, means actuable by the element when returned to its normal position to cause deenergization of the motor, a mechanism actuable to adjust the element when operatively connected thereto, and connecting means adapted for selective movement into engagement with either the adjusting mechanism or the receiving unit to operatively connect them singly with the element.

3. A material handling apparatus comprising cooperating drive and counter rolls to advance a material, a motor energizable to rotate the drive roll, the counter roll being driven by the material, an indicating unit remotely disposed with respect to the said rolls and having an element adjustable from a normal position to a selected position to register a given length of material to be advanced, an electrically operated receiving unit disposed adjacent the indicating unit and adapted to move the element toward the normal position when operatively connected thereto, an electrical transmitting unit driven by the counter roll to cause operation of the receiving unit, means actuable by the element when returned to its normal position to cause deenergization of the motor, a mechanism actuable to adjust the element when operativelyconnected thereto, connecting means adapted for selective movement into engagement with either the adjusting mechanism or the receiving unit to operatively connect them singly with the element, and means under the control of the connecting means to maintain the motor deenergized during adjustment of the element.

LESTER O. REICHELT. 

